The invention relates to a device and method for assisting a person in walking up a flight of stairs and in particular to a stair tow device and method.
The task of climbing stairs can be often a difficult undertaking for some people. For example, some people fully capable of walking unassisted on level surfaces acquire shortness of breath or experience weakness while climbing stairs. This may be due to advancement in years, recovery from illness or injury, heart or respiratory disease, neurological disease or limb or joint dysfunction.
Elevators have been used to carry disabled persons up or down a flight of stairs. The cost, installation, operation and maintenance of such devices, particularly for a home, however, is unduly excessive for those who are fully capable of walking on level surfaces but simply require some assistance when climbing stairs. A need therefore exists for an effective device for assisting such a person in walking up a flight of stairs.
In accordance with the present invention, a stair tow comprising a winch, a length of winch cable and a winch controller having a handgrip provides a convenient device for assisting a person when climbing a flight of stairs. Both the winch and the winch controller are attached to the winch cable. The winch controller is operatively connected to the winch and enables the user to selectively operate the winch. Thus, a person grasping the handgrip and operating the winch with the winch controller is thereby assisted in walking up a flight of stairs.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the winch controller is operatively connected to the winch by a suitable connection, such as by an electrical conductor extending from the winch controller to the winch, such as a wire which can be the winch cable or another wire that may be associated with the winch cable.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the winch is operatively connected to the winch controller by a radiofrequency communication device.
A suitable switch is part of the winch controller to turn the winch on and off and in one embodiment may be a button switch located on the handgrip for operation by a thumb or finger of the hand that grips the handgrip.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a rotation sensor stops the operation of the winch if the winch fails to rotate for a predetermined length of time after activation.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a cable distance sensor stops the operation of the winch if the winch controller comes within a predetermined distance of the winch.
Typically, the winch provides a suitable force to provide the desired stair climbing assistance, typically in the range of from about 30 pounds to about 300 pounds or more.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a stair tow comprising a winch, a length of cable and a winch controller having a winch mounted at the top of a stairway provides a convenient device for assisting a person when climbing a flight of stairs. Both the winch and the winch controller are attached to the cable. The winch controller is operatively connected to the winch and causes the winch to operate. A person grasping the handgrip and operating the winch with the winch controller is thereby assisted in walking up a flight of stairs.
In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a guide channel is mounted on the stairway wall when the stair tow device is used in conjunction with a non-linear stairway. Alternatively, a pulley or system of pulleys and/or cable guides may be utilized to run the cable from the winch to a location along the portion of the stairway where assistance will be provided.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method for assisting a person in walking up a stairway is provided. The method is practiced with a device including a winch mounted at the top of the stairway or top portion of the stairway along which assistance is to be provided, a length of cable that is at least substantially as long as the length of the stairway along which walking assistance is to be provided, the cable having opposing ends, one cable end attached to said winch; and a winch controller handgrip attached to the other cable end, said winch controller handgrip operatively connected to the winch for selectively causing the winch to operate. The person who will be assisted by the device, while located towards the bottom of the length of the stairway over which assistance is to be provided, grasps the winch controller handgrip and actuates the winch through the winch controller handgrip to provide a force in the upward direction of the stairway while continuing to grasp the winch controller handgrip. Then, the person walks up the stairs while continuing to grasp the winch controller handgrip and is assisted by a pulling force in the upward direction of the stairway exerted on the winch controller handgrip by operation of the winch on the cable connected to the winch controller.